Shoe-tree-making machine



'Sept. 22, 1925.

Q. OLSON SHOE TREE" MAKING MACHINE Filed March 26, 192. 5 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR O. OLSON WITNESSES A TTORNE Y8 Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,878- O. OLSON SHOE TREE MAKING MACHINE Filed March 2 192.5 s Sheets-Sheet 5 wlmsssm o 0 MENTOR .L-S'ON W Q-XQI v ATTORNEYS Sept. 22; 1925.

0. OLSON sadE TREE MAKING mama Filed March 26 I42 T w 'iijllllllll llll WITNESSES A TTORNEVS Sept. 22, 1925.

O. OLSON SHOE TREE MAKING MACHINE Filed March 26, 1923 6 sheeta sheet 5 ATTORNEYS Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,878

I O. OLSON SHOE TREE MAKING MACHINE Filed March 26, 1923 s'sneet's-sheax s na/Mrs Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR OLSON, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOVLINNEA oLson, or BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK. a

SHQE-TREE-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed March 26, 1923. Serial no. 627,779

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR O SON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Shoe-Tree-Making Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion. 1 a

This invention relates generally to improvements inshoe machinery and has particular reference to a machine for making parts of shoe trees. 9

The present invention is especially designed as an improvement on the machines illustrated in my former Patent No.

1,402,533, dated January 3rd, 1922 and my.

previous application filed August 3rd, 1922, Serial No. 579,518, and has for one of its objects the provision of a machine in which the accurate formation of three parts in conformity with a pattern is facilitated.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanism for automatically feeding the work or stock to the cutters and for automatically discontinuing the feeding action upon completion ofthe cutting operation.

A further object is the provision of rotatable pattern and work holders, the rotation of which is prevented when the same are in normal position and which is automatically started subsequent to the initial movement of the holders toward the guiding and cutting mechanisms.

A still further object is to provide improved pattern and work holders which will securely retain the pattern or work therein in proper position and prevent accidental displacement thereof during the rotation of said holders.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detail description, when taken'in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is an end elevation of the machine constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the mechanism in partly operated position Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Figure 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 4 4E ofFigure 2;

Figure5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure' l; Figure 6 is a sectional View, taken on the line 66 of Figure 7 ,"of a portion of the mechanism for automatically feeding the pattern and work holders toward the guides and cutters; p 3 a Figure 7 is a-sectional viewon the line 7-7 of Figure 6; 1 f 1 Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational View of other portions of said mechanism, the dotted line positionsof certain of the parts illustrating the first step in the op eration of said parts; t

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8, the dotted lines in this figure illustrating the position of the, parts after they are actuated from their initial operative positions;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section on the line 10-10 of Figure 2 showing the pattern holder and pattern carried thereby in partly operated position;

Figure 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Figure 10 illustratingthemech-anism for revolving the pattern holder; s

Figure 12 is an enlarged front elevation showing the tensioning devicevwhich cooperat'es with the pattern to maintain the holder therefor and the cooperating work holders in proper position while the work or stock is being operated on Figure 13 is an edge or side elevation of a piece of stock after the same has been cut in accordance with the pattern; and

Figure 14 is a. similar VlGW taken at right angles to Figure 13. 1

vThe machine embodying the features of the present invention is designed for the purpose of facilitating the formation of parts of shoe trees which are made from suitable stock which in its original state, is rectangular information "and of any desirable length. By mea-nsrof the mechanism later to be described each piece of stock is cut at one end so that when the cutting operation is completed the ends of the pieces of stock will conform in configuration tothat of the pattern. The result of the cutting operation is illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 and following the completion thereof the formedfends of the pieces of stock are severed transversely and then split longitudinally on the dotted line indicated 'in 21 connected at their upper ends by the top member 22 arranged at an angle to the horizontal, as illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 10.

i To lend rigidity to the frame and to support portions of .the mechanism thelfront end members 20 are connected intermediate their ends by a cross brace 23 and the lower ends of the members 20 and 21 have extending therebetween the stay rods 24. Journaled inthe lower end of the frame is the main drive shaft25 carrying the pulleys 26', one of which is used as an idler and'the other as a drive pulley and to which is connected a suitable drive belt (not shown) operated from any convenient source of power., A stationary countershaft 27 is. mounted in suitable bearings formed in the end members 20 intermediate the ends thereof and rockingly supported by this countershaft .is a carriage 28 including the end members 29, the lower ends of which have a bearing. on the countershaft. The main portion of the carriage 28 which carries the pattern and work holders is pivotally mounted in the upper ends of the end members 29 so that said mainportionwill have a relative movement about its pivots. with respect to said end members'while the stoek is being cut in conformity with the pattern. A. weight 30 is carried by one of the members 29 to counteract the weight of the carriage 28 and parts carried thereby so as to facilitate the rocking of the carriage about the shaft 27 toward the cutters. Thegmain portion of the car riage28 carries the hangers 31, in the lower ends of which is" journaled a driven shaft 32' utilized to impart a rotary movement to the pattern holder, generally, indicated by the numeral 33, and the various work or stock holders, indicated by the numeral 34,

there being two work, holders shown, al-

though it will be understood that as many of the latter holders maybe provided as is found convenient.

Depending from the top 22- of the frame intermediate the ends thereof are suitable hangers in which a stationary guide 36 in the form of a roller is mounted and adapted to be contacted by the endof a pattern 37 as the carriage 28 and pattern and work holders 33 and 34 are automatically moved, by a mechanism later to be described, from their normal inclined positions, shown in Figure 4, toward a -vertical position] Cooperating with the guide 36 is a second guide 38; (see Figure 12) movable with res ect to the guide 36 and in accordance with the the pattern is insert-ed.

irregularities in the pattern 37 as the latter is rotated. The guide 38 supports the pivoted portion of the carriage 28 carrying the pattern and work holders so that said holders will. be held in proper relation to the guide 36 and the cutters, respectively, said guide 38 being yieldably held in engagement with the lowermost portion of the pattern 37 and supported in this position by means of transversely arranged sleeves 39 slidably mounted upon vertically disposed rods 40. The lower ends of said rods are secured to the cross brace 23 of the main frame and the upper ends in the lower portions of the hangers 35. Slidably mounted on the lower ends of the rods 40 are rings 41 engagedby the lower ends of coil springs 42, the upper ends of which bear against the lower ends of" the sleeves 39 to normally force said sleeves and the guide 38 upwardly into yielding contact with the pattern 37 The rings 41 may be adjusted to various positions on the rods 40 to vary the tension of the springs 42 and are held in their adjusted positions by means of pins 43 extending thrlough suitable apertures 44 formed insaid IOC s.

Cooperating with each of the work holders 34 is a shaft 45 rotatably supported in bearings 46 depending from the top 22 of the frame and havingfixed thereon a cutter 47 of anydesirable construction. Each of these cutters operates on the piece of stock 48 carriedby the adjacent holder 34 to out said stock, as it is revolved, in conformity with the pattern 37. The cutters 47 are rotated in synchronism by means of pulleys 49 carried by the shafts 45 and connected to pulleys 50 on the main drive shaft 25 by the belts 51. The end bearings 46 are supported for longitudinal adjustment in the top 22 by means of bolts 46 extending through slots 46 whereby the shafts 45 and cutters 47 may be removed and replaced, if

seen that the holder comprises a housing,

the end plates 52 of which are provided with aligned openings 53 therein through which The lower and upper sides of the portion of the pattern within the housing are engaged by clamping plates 54 and 55, respectively, the latter plate projecting beyond the openings .53

in the end plates for a purpose which will presently appear. The plate 55 is movable relative to the pattern so that the same may be adjusted to securely clamp the pattern in the holder and thereby prevent any acciplates'52 forming the adjacent sides of the l openings 53 by means of expanslble springs 56 interposed between the projecting ends of said plate and small brackets 57 carried by the end plates 52. After the pattern has been inserted betweentheplates 54 and the latter plate is securely clamped against the adjacent face of the pattern by means of cams 58 engaging the projecting ends of the plate 55 and carried by a shaft 59 rotatably mounted in the end plates 52. The

forward end of the shaft 59 is provided with a crank portion 60 having an enlarged head 61 on its extremity which is adapted to be engaged by a suitable tool to rotate the shaft so that the cams 58 will engage and force the plate 55 inwardly against the pat tern. In order-that the plate 55 will be held in its clamping position, the front end plate 52 carries a segmental rack 62, the teeth of which are engaged by a pawl 63 pivoted to the head 61 so that the shaft will be locked in its adjusted positions.

The housing which is supported in the carriage 28 is rotated therein by means of a worm gear 64 secured to said housing and engageable with a worm 65 carried by the shaft 32 which is in turn driven from the main drive shaft 25. Referring particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 4, the means for rotatmg the shaft 32 is shown as comprising a pulley.

66 which is connected by an endless belt 67 to a pulley 68 rotatably mounted on the shaft 27. The latter pulley is in turn connected to a pulley 69 secured to the shaft 32 by an endless belt 70. It is essential, in the operation of the machine, that when the parts are in the normal position, shown in Figure 4, the belt 70 will be sufiiciently loose to prevent the rotation of the pulley 68 being imparted to the pulley 69 and consequently to the shaft 32 so that no rotary movement will be imparted to the pattern or work holders. In addition to the looseness"of the belt 7 O a positive means is provided which willinsure against rotation of the shaft 32. This means preferably comprises'a pivotally mounted arm 71 carried by the carriage 28 and provided upon its lower end with a clutch portion 72 engageable with a' drum 73 on the shaft 32. The upper end of the arm 71 which extends above carriage 28 is formed with a handle 74 and a coil spring 75 connects said handle with an arm 76 having one end pivotally mounted on the carriage 28 to normally maintain said handle in the dotted line position shown in Figure 4, in which position the clutch portlon 72 will be disengaged from the drum 73. It Wlll be obvious from this description that a forward movement of the handle 74 against the tension of the spring 75 will engage the clutch portion 72 with the drum 73 and thus prevent rotation of the shaft 32. The braking means may be maintained in its operative position by a lever 77 pivoted at one end to the handle 74 and having a notch 78 adjacent its opposite end for receiving the forward edge of the carriage 28, so as to prevent a return of the handle 74 to its normal position under the influence of the spring 75. With the parts in the position just described the pattern and work holders are prevented from rotating so that the operator of the machine may readily remove and replace the pattern or workwithout danger of injury. when in its normal position the carriage 28 and the mechanism carried thereby is supported in such position and prevented from any further forward and downward movement about the shaft 27, as a pivot, by an elongated arm 79, the forward end of which is secured to the carriage 28 at any desirable point and the rear end of which engages the under surface of. one of the bearings 35, or any other stationary part of the machine.

It is proposed to start the rotation of the shaft 32. and consequently of the pattern and work holders 33 and 34 a predetermined interval followingth'e initial'movement of the frame 28 toward the guides 36 and 38 and the cutters 47, which movement of the frame is accomplished by a mechanism presently to be described. To effect the rotation of said shaft 32 a belt tightening device is associated with the belt 7 O and preferably comprises a pair of arms 80 (see Figure 5) arranged in parallel relation and having their lower ends secured to the shaft 27. The upper ends of said arms 80 are provided with aligned longitudinal slots 81 through which a pin 82 extends, said pin being secured in adjusted positions in said slot by means of nuts 83 engageable with the arms 80. An idler roller or pulley 84 is carried by the pin 82 intermediate the ends thereof and disposed on opposite sides of said pulley are the links 85 pivotally mounted on said pin 82. i The free ends of the links 85 are connected by a pin 86 which supports a second idler pulley or roller 87.

The belt 70 passes around the pulleys 84 and 87 as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4, so that an upward movementof' the pul ley 87 and the links 85 about the pin 82, as a pivot, will tighten the belt 70 sufficiently tov have their forward ends resting upon pins 90 carried by the arms 80. The upper edge of each of the actuating members 88 is provided intermediate its ends with a cam or shoulder 91, which is engaged by the rear end of the adjacent link 85, after the carriage 28 has moved rearwardly a slight distance toward the guiding and cutting mechanisms. The engagement of the rear ends of the links 85 with the shoulders 91 will ele vate said ends of the links and thereby tighten the belt to impart rotation to the shaft 32, it being understood that the brake mechanism including the clutch portion 72 has previously been adjusted to its normal position.

The mechanism for automatically moving the carriage 28 and the pattern and work holders from their normal positions into engagement with the guiding and cutting means will now be described. Assuming that the pattern and stock have been mounted in their respective holders, as hereinbe,

fore described, that the carriage 28 is in the normal position shown in Figure 4: and that the drive'shaft 25 is being rotated by one of the pulleys 26, it is first necessary to connect the carriage to a continuously driven feeding mechanism, generally indicated by the numeral 92, which mechanism is shown 7 to one end of a link connection 97, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the rear end of an operating rod 98, the forward end of which projects through a guide 99 carried by one of the bearings 46 and which is provided with a handle 100 adapted to be grasped by the operator to actuate the eccentric 94. Referring particularly to Figure 8, it will be noted that the full line position of the operating rod and connected parts is the normal position wherein the rack 93 is out of engagement with the worm gear 101 of the feeding mechanism. By exerting a forward pull on the rod 98, the link 97 will be swung to the dotted line position and at the same time the pin 96 will be rotated to impart a similar movement to the eccentric 94:, which will raise the rear end of the rack-93 and cause thesame to engage the worm gear 101. In order that the rack 93 will be maintained in engagement with said worm gear during the movement of the carriage 28 and during the cutting operation, a locking device is associated with the rod 98 and includes a locking plate 102 having one end secured to the pin 96 so as to rotate therewith and its opposite end provided with a notch 103. lVhen the rod 98 is pulled forwardly the locking plate 102 is moved'to the vertical dotted line position shown in Figure 8, in which position a spring pressed latch 104 is engaged in the notch .103 thereby maintaining the 70 associated parts in their adjusted positions, in which positions they remain ,until the cutting operation is completed.

Referring more particularly to Figures 6 and 7, the feeding mechanism, which in-"* eludes the housing 92 and the worm, gear 101, further consists of a shaft 105,up0n

which the worm gear 101 is mounted and which also carries a gear 106 meshing with a worm 107 carried by the shaft 108 ar-- ranged transversely with respect to. the shaft 105 and extending through a portion of the housing. One endof the shaft 108 projects beyond the housing and carriesa I pulley 109around which an endless belt 110* passes, said belt being also'engaged and driven by a pulley 111 mounted on the drive shaft 25. Thus, through the medium of this feeding mechanism; the rack93 is caused to move rear-wardly and being connected to the carriage 28 a pivotal move- .ment of the latter about the shaft 27 will result. At the beginning of this movement the pulley or roller 87 of the belt tightening device will engage the shoulder 91, thus tightening the belt 70 and causing a rotation of theshaft 32, which rotation is imparted through the gear 64 to the pattern and work holders. The initial movement of the carriage will also disengage the rear end of the supporting arm 79 from'the part of the machine which this arm contacts and the main portion of said carriage which supports the pattern and work holders will then be free to move vertically about the pivots in the upper ends of the end members 29. As the rearward movement of the carriage progresses the rear ends of the pattern and the work to be cut approach the guides 36 and '38 and the cutters 47, respectively. By referring'to Figure 1, it will be seen that just previous to the engage ment of the pattern with the guides 36 and 38 and the pieces of stock 18 with the out ters 47 the patternand work or stock hold- 115 ers will be in substantially vertical position, due to the pull exerted on the main portion of,.,the carriage 28 by-the rack bar 93 so that (the rear end of the pattern will first engage the lower guide 38 and exert a down- -ward pressure thereon against the tension in engagement with the pattern as the same is bein'g rotated and moved rearwardly by the rack93. Due to the yielding action of the guide 38, itHwill be obvious that this guide will move up and down in conformity with the curvature and irregularities of the pattern to which similar vertical movements are imparted by reason of the engagement thereof with the stationary guide 36. Such vertical movements of the pattern are im parted to the main portion of the carriage 28 to cause the same to move about its pivots and due to these movements of the carriage, it will be obvious that such movements will be transmitted to the work holders and the work carried thereby. The initial engagement of the pattern with the guide 36 occurs practically simultaneously with the engagement of the rear ends of the rotating stock or work with the cutters 4L7 and thus it will be obvious that the stock will be cut in conformity with the configuration of the pattern, due to the vertical movements which are imparted to the latter.

Means are provided in connection with the feeding mechanism for automatically disengaging the rack 93 from the worm gear 101 upon the completion of the cutting operation, whereby further rearward movement of the carriage 28 is stopped and the same permitted to return to its normal position. This means preferably comprises a trip member 112 (see Figures 8 and 9) in the form of an angular bar carried by the rack 98. This rack is provided at intervals with a number of screw threaded openings 113, any one of which is designed to receive a bolt and wing nut 114i utilized to secure the strip 112 in any adjusted position, minor adjustments of said trip being accomplished through the medium of an elongated slot 115 formed in the forward end thereof and through which the bolt extends. These major and minor adjustments are provided for the purpose of accurately determining the particular instant at which the rack 93 is to be disengaged from the gear 101. The rear portion of the trip 112 is offset from the rack, as clearly shown in Figure 9, and arranged in the path of the rear end of said trip is a pin 116 which forms the pivot for the rear end of the operating rod 98. Thus, as the rack 93 moves rearwardly the rear end of the trip 112 eventually engages the pin 116 and rocks the link connection 97 about its pivot 96 and against the tension of the latch 104: which is engaged in the notch 103 of the locking plate 102. This locking plate is finally disengaged from the latch 104' by continued pressure upon the pin 116, following which the pin 96 is rotated to restore the eccentric 94L to its normal position,

shown-in Figure 7, thus permitting the rack 93 to disengage itselffrom the gear 101,

whereupon the rearward movement ofthe carriage 28 will be stopped and said carriage permitted to be restored to the normal position shown in Figure 1. The fin ishe'd pieces of work, the ends of which are new shaped, as shown in Figures 13 and 1d,

are removed from the work holders and re placed by other stock, following which the cutting operation may be repeated as previously described.

WVhile I refer to my improved machine as a shoe tree making machine it is obvious that the apparatus is capable of making or shaping other articles in accordance with the pattern employed, and hence I do not limit myself to the making of shoe trees or shoe tree parts but consider myself at liberty to use the machine for making any article of which it is capable.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a machine for making shoe tree parts, comprising a carriage having means for supporting and rotating the work and a pattern on tiltable axes parallel to each other and to the plane of travel of the carriage, a cutting and grinding mechanism toward and from which the carriage is movable to bring the pattern and work into and out of engagement therewith, a rack and worm gear normally out of engagement but capable of being moved into operative engagement to positively feed the work and pattern axially toward and into engagement with the cutter and guide a predetermined distance, and then throw said rack out of operative engagement with the worm gear.

2. The combination with a machine for making shoe tree parts, comprising a carriage having means for supporting and rotating the work and a pattern on tiltable axes parallel to each other and to the plane of travel of the carriage, a cutting and grinding mechanism toward and from which the carriage is movable to bring the pattern and work into and out of engagei'nent therewith, a rack and worm gear normally out of engagement but capable of being moved into operative engagen'ient to positively feed the work and pattern axially toward and into engagement with the cutter and guide a predetermined distance, an eccentric adapted to hold the rack in mesh with the worm gear, and an adjustable member on the carriage adapted to engage the eccentric to cause the disengagement of the rack with the worm gear.

3. The combination with a machine for making shoe tree parts, comprising a carriage having means for supporting and rotating the work and a pattern on tiltable axes parallel to each other andto the plane of travel of the carriage, a cutting and grinding mechanism toward and l fromwhich the carnage 1s movab1e to hung the pattern and Work into and out of engagement therewith, a rack and Worm gear normally out of engagementbut capable of beingmoved into operative engagement to positively feed the Work and pattern axially toward and into engagement With the cutter and guide a predetermined distance, an eccentrio adapted to hold the rack in mesh With the Worm gear, an adjustable member on means for returning the eccentric to' position .to hold the rack in engagement Wlthl the Worm gear.

OSCAR OLSON; 

